Dr. Sohyun Park (left); MaFe Gonzalez / BASE Landscape Architecture (right)
Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ announced that , Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ, PhD, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Connecticut, and MaFe Gonzalez, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ, Landscape Designer and Botanist, , will represent Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ at the in Cali, Colombia, October 21-November 1.
Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ and its 16,000 member landscape architects, designers, and educators support the and its key goals and targets. Landscape architects are committed to achieving the , including protecting and restoring at least 30 percent of terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems by 2030 (30 x 30). They also stand behind the .
¡°We are advancing 30 x 30 through our projects, research, and advocacy. In our Climate Action Plan, we called for restoring ecosystems and increasing biodiversity on a global scale. This year in Colombia, we will show policymakers how to do it through the latest planning and design strategies,¡± said Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ CEO Torey Carter-Conneen, Hon. Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ.
¡°Landscape architects are key to translating policy into action and realizing real biodiversity gains in landscapes, particularly in cities,¡± said Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ President Kona Gray, FË¿¹ÏÊÓƵ, PLA. ¡°We are uniquely positioned to lead multidisciplinary teams of ecologists, biologists, engineers, and other disciplines to protect, restore, and enhance ecosystems worldwide.¡±
Landscape architects advance global biodiversity goals by:
- Protecting and restoring ecosystems
- Conserving habitat for species
- Planting native trees and plants
- Protecting and restoring soil health
- Managing invasive species
- Creating ecological corridors
- Mitigating and adapting to climate change
They plan and design projects and conduct research at all scales in urban, suburban, and rural areas.
At the convention, Dr. Sohyun Park will present landscape architecture strategies to increase biodiversity at these events:
, October 22-23, Green Zone. A keynote ¨C Landscape Architecture Solutions to ¡°Halt and Reverse¡± Biodiversity Loss ¨C on October 22 at 8:50 AM COT.
, October 26, 4-5 PM COT, Green Zone, Universidad ECCI Cali (Floor 7, Room 3). A session focused on ¡°proven solutions to support nature that can be adopted at various scales of the built environment.¡±
MaFe Gonzalez will present these strategies at this event:
, October 25, 1 - 2.30 PM COT, Green Zone, Universidad ECCI Cali (Floor 1, Room 8). A workshop focused on ¡°reconnecting children with urban biodiversity through the design of public spaces and educational institutions.¡±? ?
Last month, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ released the results of its f. The survey found that 45 percent of landscape architects have prioritized biodiversity conservation and another 41 percent consider biodiversity part of their organization¡¯s environmental ethos.
Earlier this year, the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Fund released peer-reviewed research on landscape architecture solutions to the biodiversity crisis. The research, which Dr. Sohyun Park developed, reviewed nearly 70 peer-reviewed studies focused on planning and designing nature-based solutions to biodiversity loss published from 2000 to 2023. Explore the findings in an executive summary, which includes case studies and project examples, and a research study.
In 2022, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ urged world leaders to . Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ also joined 340 organizations worldwide in signing the .